Arnis/Eskrima/Kali



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Eskrima or Escrima refers in a general way to Filipino martial arts. Other terms in common international usage are Kali and Arnis de Mano; occasionally the abbreviation FMA is used.

Many different systems of Eskrima exist. In most systems, skills with weapons and with empty hands are developed at the same time, using training methods designed to emphasize the common elements. Practitioners of these arts are noted for their ability to fight with weapons or empty hands interchangeably. Most Eskrima systems include fighting with a variety of weapons, striking with hands and feet (kickboxing), grappling, throwing, biting, and all the other skills that would be needed for a warrior's complete training in the old days of tribal warfare. Perhaps the only major exceptions are that the skills needed for fighting effectively in groups are being lost, and traditionally, Eskrima would have been taught alongside Hilot, a Filipino system of healing and medicine that has now virtually disappeared.